The new Sauber C23 was unveiled in Salzburg Airport

Fisichella and new team-mate Felipe Massa took the wraps off Sauber's C23 at a ceremony at Salzburg airport.

"The dream for me is to drive in the future for one of the three top teams," said Italian Fisichella.

"So it's very important to do a good season for the Sauber team, and score a lot of points."

Fisichella and Brazilian Massa, who tested for Ferrari last season after racing for Sauber in 2002, will form a new-look line-up at the team this season.

And Sauber owner Peter Sauber believes Fisichella's arrival from Jordan will be a major boost to his team as they attempt to improve on a sixth-place finish in the constructors' standings last season.

It is smaller and lighter and, I hope, faster Peter Sauber on the new car

"For me he is one of the top six drivers in the sport," said Sauber, who will allow Fisichella to test for Ferrari this season.

"I am convinced he will help us move forward significantly on the F1 grid."

Sauber is confident that the C23 will provide a clear improvement in performance from his team's 2003 model.

"It is smaller and lighter and, I hope, also faster. Our goal for 2004 is to clearly increase our performance," he said.

"How well we'll be able to do this primarily depends on how quickly we can translate the results of our wind tunnel work to the race track."

The C23 bears a marked resemblance to the 2003 championship-winning Ferrari, but with an enlarged engine cover.

After last year, anything can happen Giancarlo Fisichella

The car, which also uses Ferrari's 2003 seven-speed gearbox, is due to make its track debut at Valencia in Spain on Wednesday.

Sauber's technical director Willi Rampf said the team had abandoned the twin-keel front suspension concept, now espoused by the radical-looking new Williams, to achieve greater stiffness.

The car, however, has failed a mandatory crash test and will have to retake it later this month.

Fisichella said: "I'm looking forward because we will use the same specification as Ferrari, the 2004 engine and for the first time the Ferrari gearbox.

"After last year, anything can happen because last year the Jordan car was not competitive but I won a race."